Marktplatz
The most important handgun calibers are:
- .22 lfb
- 7.65 mm Browning
- .380 ACP (also: 9mm short)
- 9 mm Luger
- .40 S&W
- .44 Magnum
- .45
- 10 mm Auto
For hunters, short-barreled weapons are important mainly for trap shooting, but also for trapping. As a trapshot weapon, short-barreled weapons have gained in importance, especially in recent years. The reason lies mainly in the other methods: Trapping with a blank weapon is difficult and involves tension for the hunter. Especially with heavier cloven-hoofed game, there is also an increased potential for danger. Interception with the long rifle, on the other hand, in dense undergrowth is difficult, it is long and bulky and the optics mounted on it allow precise shots only at greater distances.
For this reason, the German Weapons Act basically grants hunters two short-barreled weapons with the objective of allowing the possession of a small-caliber short-barreled weapon for trapping and a large-caliber short-barreled weapon for trapping. According to Section 19 of the Federal Hunting Act, the ammunition used for trap shooting must have a muzzle energy of at least 200 joules. This allows for certain calibers based on ballistic data. According to the manufacturer's specifications, the weakest trap shot cartridge would be the 7.65 mm Browning, which usually achieves slightly more than 200 joules. However, with regard to this information, it should be noted that this energy is obtained with a standardized measuring barrel of 150 mm length. Most handguns have a much smaller barrel and thus do not achieve the muzzle energy specified by the manufacturer. Therefore, the caliber 7.65 mm Browning is not recommended, the lower limit should rather be 9 mm Luger or .38 Special - for stronger and more defensible game we would rather advise a stronger revolver caliber such as .357 Magnum, .41 Magnum and .44 Magnum. Here the simple calculation applies: the larger the caliber, the faster the shot piece of game will die. In addition, the longer the barrel, the more muzzle energy the weapon has - the reason for this is that the bullet travels a longer distance in the barrel while the ignition charge of the cartridge burns off - the length of the barrel is therefore equal to the length of the acceleration distance. However, a long barrel also makes the weapon heavier - a large caliber also requires the hunter to carry another heavy object through the hunting area. However, the high weight also has its advantages, because the recoil of the weapon is proportionally lower.
Apart from the choice of caliber, hunters are faced with the decision between a revolver and a pistol. Revolvers are considered more robust, easier to use and safer - without a preloaded hammer, the gun cannot go off accidentally.
However, the safeties on pistols, including those used in government firearms, have become much safer and more reliable in recent years. Models that combine most of the desired requirements, i.e. lightness, reliability, safety and sufficiently high caliber are distributed, for example, by the Austrian manufacturer GLOCK, a company that enjoys great popularity not only among military units and sports shooters, but also among hunters.
